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Norwegian Epic

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Norwegian Jade

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Norwegian Jewel

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Norwegian Dawn

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Ketchikan

This cruise was fantastic. One of the best. Fellow passengers were very friendly. Enjoyed talking to them. Food was very good. Activities on the boat was good for my husband to stay active.  14 days was home for us. The Spanish country was clean and nice. Missed out on Bermuda. Weather was bad. I guess we have to book another cruise. Haha. Activities staff always kept us entertained. Saw a few shows. The one with all entertainers in it was one of the best.  We did have dining packages, 6 different meals. They were good. Ate in the dining room a couple times. But the food on the buffet was great. So we ate most of meals up there. Omelets with anything you want in them.  They would tease me with crepes almost every night. He got me a couple times. A different salad special every night. Like I said I really enjoyed this very much. Thank you

Great cruise

Just returned - 13 November 2016 from a 14 night transatlantic cruise on the Norwegian Jade, our cruise commenced in Barcelona, then cruised on to Cartagena, Malaga, Funchal, Bermuda, Miami and finally disembarking in Tampa USA.

Our cabins were on deck 10 and although they were slightly smaller than we’ve previously experienced they were more than sufficient to meet our needs, they have adequate storage space and come well equipped and are cleaned on a daily basis by extremely hard working cabin attendants.

Although the Jade is over 10 years old its facilities are excellent with 2 swimming pools sauna, gym, large sun deck areas, 12 different bars and 13 restaurants to choose from. We’d opted for the ultimate beverage package which entitled us to free drinks (doesn’t include water, which is charged at 6.5 dollars a bottle) and I must admit it’s the best drinks package I’ve personally ever experienced, we enjoy the odd vodka and to find that grey goose vodka was part of that package was surprising but then most of the premium brands were part of the drinks package.

Our personal favourite bars were Topsiders Bar (Pool Bar), Bali Hai Bar & Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar which were serviced by Emmanuel and Miguel two of the best and most entertaining bar tenders you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting, great job guy’s.    

The restaurants were also first rate and although there’s a cover charge for the speciality restaurants we found the main one to be excellent with more than enough choices to suit everybody’s tastes, breakfast, lunch and evening meals in fact you could easily put the odd stone or two on if you wish too. There is even one restaurant which stays open 24/7 for if you find yourself a little peckish late at night.

Just a couple of disappointing things to be mindful of, by law they now have to charge port tax whilst in some ports and in some waters which is additional and charged at roughly 1 dollar per drink and isn’t covered by the ultimate drinks package. Also when you dock in Miami (or the first point of entry to the USA) they conduct a full immigration check and you’re not allowed back on the ship until everybody has been processed which took them from 7:30am to 12:00am to conduct so I personal suggest booking one of the shore excursions as these are the first off the ship.

Despite these, we had an excellent holiday and would personally recommend the Norwegian Jade. This ship is well maintained and staffed by hard working people whose job it is to make sure your holiday is the best you can have, well done and thankyou to all the crew.

Transatlantic Magic

This was our 8th cruise in 6 years all with NCL, most out of NYC, where we live. 

We had always wanted to make a transatlantic crossing and to visit Barcelona. We arrived a few days early to spend some time in the city, which exceeded our expectations. 

The cruise itinerary was Cartagena (Spain), Malaga (Spain), Funchal (Madeiras), Bermuda and Miami, ending in Tampa.

This was our fist time on the Jade, and our fourth time on this class of ship (Jade/Jewel/Pearl/Gem). 

The passenger breakdown was almost entirely retirees with American,Canadians and British making up the large majority. 

The specific things that made this cruise special were, in order, the ports, the passengers, the ship and the entertainment. After having burned out on the Caribbean (we are not really beach people), we were looking for something more interesting. The three European ports delivered with each even better than the last. We did basic local excursions arranged through NCL. The highlight was the "Best of Funchal" tour. This was *really* surprising, giving a good sense of what the island is like with plenty of spectacular photo opportunities, perhaps the nicest cable car ride we've ever been on and the truly unique experience of riding a toboggan on city streets down from the heights. Then there was the wine tasting. It is not to be missed. 

The fellow cruisers were all exceptionally well-behaved, with absolutely no boorish behavior at all. We made a few new friends and availed ourselves of the opportunity to spend time together. 

As for the ship, some may find the Jade too small or a bit dated, but we loved it. There is a real problem with the new mega-ships from NCL: they manage to make a very large ship seem cramped and crowded, which was never a problem on the Jade. The Breakaway class lacks a promenade deck (I love walking it early in the morning), a major issue for me. The balconies are very shallow (half the size of those on the Jade), the 567 Ocean Place central hall is disconnected from the sea (no windows) and tends to create major traffic jams as one it concentrates passengers. Another issue is that, all too often, one is forced to walk through the casino. On the Jade, the various venues are more compartmentalized which tends to make them feel intimate rather than cramped. The Jade and her sisters also extend the marketplace buffet out onto the fantail, providing a nice space in which to eat breakfast or lunch in the open air, something sorely missed on the Breakaway. 

Of all the eight cruises we've done, none had the level of musicianship of that on this cruise. I'm an amateur musician and I tend to have high standards. From the solo performers in the bars and lounges to the show and dance bands, there wasn't a disappointing musician in the bunch. There was a standout Beatles Tribute band (The Beatles Invasion) and a very funny and talented comedy string quartet (Classical Grafitti). 

As for the shows, they were certainly entertaining. The perennial "Elements" show offers a nice variety of performances and there was the debut of a new country-themed show called "Blazing Boots" that we enjoyed. The shows tend to last about an hour which is all that one can take sitting in the theatre seats which have these strangely sloping seat bottoms, something that all of the NCL ships we've been on seem to share. The troupe singers were fine, but the dancers were outstanding. 

Food-wise, this cruise was up to the usual NCL standards which is mostly, quite good. If there were any issues, it was that after 14 days, the menus in the large dining rooms and at the buffet were getting a bit familiar. The desserts, in general, could be a bit better. We ate in four specialty restaurants with the standout being the Moderno Churrasciara.

The cruise staff was engaging and kept things interesting.

One nice thing was that the hard sell of the bingo and pull-tabs was toned down from our previous cruises. The hard sell from the art department remains as strong as ever. I'm no fan of the stuff they sell on the ship, to me it looks like product rather than actual art. 

We never made it to Bermuda as a strong storm kept us away. The crew did a good job of keeping us informed of the cruise status. In all we did seven straight days at sea. I loved it. The calendar and the clock melted away and it really felt like a proper vacation. 

Would we do it again? Yes, in fact we've already booked a Transatlantic from Southampton to NY via the Shetlands and Iceland. 

I realize that much of any cruise experience is a function of luck and circumstance. Prior to this we were getting a bit bored, this cruise changed our perspective. From now on, we will bite the bullet and fly to interesting places so that we can experience new and different things.

Our Best Cruise Yet

The Jade and its moderate size was perfect for the ocean crossing.  Embarkation on Barcelona was smooth but with long lines, taking almost an hour.  The ship itself has a good flow plan and offers good food in all its restaurants, especially the specialty ones.  We enjoyed the Bistro  and Cagneys although we tried the others too.  The staff is attentive throughout the ship.  Our balcony cabin on 10 was roomy and clean.  The bed was very comfortable and the shower was great.  We did have some flooding in the shower the first two nights, but maintenance got it under control.  We were offered chocolate strawberries and a bottle of wine for our inconvenience.  We did not attend many of the nightly shows but watched some of them on TV.  We were to stop in Bermuda but could not because of 25 foot waves and 45 mph winds.  The captain explained the situation thoroughly and stressed safety.  We were disappointed another port was not offered but we knew he had tried.  After coming off the Epic, we appreciated the cabin layout, the bathroom, and well marked public restrooms.  The Stardust Theater definitely needs comfortable seats...as they are now, you feel like they are slanted towards the floor and you will slide off.  Once the Jade goes to dry dock, the updates will make this ship even better.  We definitely would choose the Jade again.

Relaxing Transatlantic Cruise

Excellent way to get from Europe to Florida for not much more than the cost of an airfare! 

Free Drinks package & 6 upgrade restaurants inc in our deal made it a no -brainer. 

All staff were great, cabin small but well kept. All in all the food was mainly good - but not great, (except Le Bistro & Teppanyaki) The complimentary Chinese was pretty dire, the sweet n sour was unlke any ever tasted before...perhaps it was Mexican style Chinese??

Service in Cagneys not up to scratch. La Cucina was all very salty, too rich, not true Italian clean fresh flavours IMHO.

Lots of repeated items on MDR menus ...but we still found plenty to choose from. 

Never ate in the buffet, just not our scene, but most reports we heard were good. 

Great Outdoors was a nice spot for breakfast & lunch. 24 hour 

Elements show was excellent. What energy from all the cast. Trivia quizzes well attended, shows how competitive folk are on a T/A cruise with lots of sea days.

We paid extra for Thermal suite passes, but found it not really worthwhile. Only 4 bubbly beds in thermal " pool" , it was just not big enough, plus not enough heated relaxers. The other thermal areas were very segreated into male/ female for saunas, jacuzzis etc( perhaps just as well as hubby reports male nudity....!!)

Other thermal suites seen on other ships, eg Dawn, are much better & larger.

We missed Bermuda due to high seas & strong winds, shame ...but our safety is paramount. Unbelievably there were some moaning about the captains decision! A medical emergency meant a detour to Nassau but no stay as no berth there, too booked up...pity! Looked great!!

All in all, a great cruise on Jade.

Great Time on Jade

This was my first NCL cruise and not sure of what to expect.  The ship was very dated and is going in for a refurb in March so that is a good thing because I am booked on it again in September 2017.  Embarkation was good, Disembarkation a nightmare.  Ship size for me is perfect.  I am more comfortable on a smaller ship.

Staff:    Cabin attendants very pleasant.  Bar staff were very rude and disinterested in helping you. I'm used to happy engaqing staff and they were just plain miserable.  

Grand Pacific Dining Room staff were a bit more pleasant.  As far as the food was concerned it was maybe average.  Nothing exciting.  When I cruise I am always excited to see what they have on the menu.  In the Jade's case, it was a matter of should we go to the buffet or see if there is anything worthwhile on the Grand Pacific Menu.  The second week seemed to improve a bit and more enjoyable choices.  

The Buffet crew were always pleasant and helpful.  The food was good with lots of choices for breakfast and lunch.  I think we only ate dinner there once.  Topsiders grill had great burgers and the Great Outdoors had a mini-buffet which was pretty good.

Cagney's was a disappointment.  We shared a 32 oz. Porterhouse and asked for medium rare.  Got close to well done.  The Moderno was extremely disappointing.  The gauchos rarely came around and the choices were minimal.  Salad bar was extremely minimal as well.  The only good thing was the lamb and their specialty steak.  Not worth the extra money.  Maybe I am used to better quality Brazilian steak houses or maybe because it was the last night of the cruise and they just weren't interested.  

We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment although the seats in the Stardust Theatre uncomfortable.  They seemed to slant forward. 

I can't say it was a terrible cruise.  Just disappointing.  Communication with passengers seems to be the most difficult issue.  I went on this cruise to find out how they deal with "accessibility" passengers and there were horror stories about how some passengers were treated.  This was very sad.  I didn't personally encounter an issue even though I had a cane but speaking with other passengers about their issues was disarming.  

If the Jade has a decent refurbishing and improvement in quality of cuisine it will be a wonderful ship.  It's just the right size.  And if they do some customer service training with bar staff that would be a vast improvement.  

At this point I am booked on 2 other NCL cruises.  Getaway and the Jade again.  I'm happy to try this cruise line again and hopefully the issues above will be much better.

Good and Bad

We choose this cruise for the great price and the ports of call. The Jade was ok but due for much needed updating. Our cabin 11593 was extremely small even for an inside cabin. We had the special dining package. Cagney's Steakhouse was great both times. I would avoid the Bistro and Italian restaurant if we did it again, they were just ok. The hibachi and Brazilian steakhouse were both tasty and entertaining. Food at the buffet ran from so-so to good, it seemed like the same thing over and over again. Service in the Grand Pacific dining room was very poor. Service in the Alzair dining room was great and it was quitter and more intimate. We loved the Blue Lagoon, food was good, service at lunch time was great but dinner time was very slow. 

Entertainment ranged from very good to poor. Not nearly enough activities for a 14 day cruise. Thank goodness for our planned cruise critic activities. 

Ports of call in Spain and Portugal were wonderful. All tours were arranged through our Cruise Critic group and saved about 50% from ship prices. Missed Bermuda because of weather with no extra port of call added. Could have done without Miami, Key West would have been much better. Ending in Tampa was the best (near home). 

Cabin Stewart was very attentive, they start cleaning late. Morning service was not completed until noon plus, night time service not completed until 9PM plus. NCL does not allow you to bring on soda and water, charges $7.95 for room service, $15 corkage fee for all wine brought on board even if consumed in your cabin. A lot of activities have an added cost. I guess they have to make up for the reasonable fare some how.

Transatlantic on the Jade

paul and i really enjoy it but he didnt like being on it for 8 days straight but i didnt mind at all.love the jade it reminds me of the sun which i love because it was my first cruise ship. and i cant say enough about the staff specially the staff that worked in Cagneys and to one special person kelly. we where treated very good by all the staff on the cruise ship and would do the jade again like i would the sun. 

the food and service was amazing i only had one meal that i didnt like paul and i get it at the same time his was great but mine was over cooked that is the only thing that was not good about it.

met some very nice people and some who have kept in touch with each other which was great. 

our cabin was very nice cant complain about the shower it was good and it was a good experience for paul & i 

there was a movie every day in the afternoon and the show at night was good the kids who put there heart and soul into and it was just great. there was lots to do you could play cards play bingo or just lay around the pool or hottub all day if that is what you like to do. 

if you ever do a cruise and you start from barcelona you should go couple days early to take it in,, to me it is so pretty and the fountains and statues are out of this world and it is always going. the only real down fall of it is that one place real sells american coffee is starbucks but the do also sell lattes.

The jade had a really good trip

Just got back from a wonderful time on the Jade.

We did a back-to-back starting with a 7-day cruise from Venice to Barcelona.  That was followed by a 14-day transatlantic from Barcelona to Tampa.  In 2013 our NCL Mediterranean cruise left a lot to be desired.  Perhaps because my expectation level was low, I was blown away by how enjoyable this trip was.

The first 7-day cruise was excellent.  We had an opportunity to upgrade to a mini suite.  The décor was dated but it was nice to have so much space.  We loved the entertainment and the food was sooo good.  This cruise had an average age of 51, somewhat older than their normal Med. cruise.

Sadly, we had to move to an obstructed view cabin for the transatlantic cruise.  Other than the size, the thing I noticed most was how poor the lighting was in our ‘lesser’ accommodation.  I missed the lighted magnifying make up mirror that was in the minisuite.

NCL made it easy to change from one cabin to another.  We just put our bags in the hall and they were moved for us.  The desk gave us new key cards and stickers to wear so that when we went ashore we did not have to check in again.  It was so easy.

Something new for NCL was that we did not have to pay for each cruise separately.  At the end of our 21 days we just had the one bill to pay.

The ocean did get rough occassionally.  I was sick the first night we were in the Atlantic.  For the most part the ship did not have a lot of motion but I found I needed Gravol a few times.  (Despite that, I would do another transatlantic because I had such a good time)

The weather was cool-ish in Venice but warmed right up as we got to Greece, Spain etc. and just got warmer as we sailed to Florida.  We got caught in rain (soaked) walking in Messina but other than that it was good weather.  

We were not able to get to Bermuda.  A big storm had to be avoided.  Everyone was disappointed but the captain and crew did a good job of explaining why we had to have another day at sea.  Since the NCL private island and Freetown have not been repaired since the hurricane, we could not stop there instead.

There was a medical emergency on board.  It meant we had to make an unscheduled stop at Nassau.  We were there long enough to transfer a lady to an ambulance.  The ship was not allowed to stay but we could not disembark.  At least we got to see land!  Again, we were very impressed with how NCL handled the emergency and how good they were about communicating what was going on.

The transatlantic cruise had an average age of 64 and very few kids.  The cruise director planned a lot of ‘age appropriate’ entertainment.  We got to see Beatle shows, Soul Music etc.  The shows were excellent and they even put on afternoon performances while we were at sea.  There were lectures during the day as well as the usual trivia games etc.

I can’t imagine that any other cruise line has better entertainment.  All the bands, solo artists, dancers, feature shows were top notch.  There was a good variety to cater to different tastes.  The cruise director Dave did an excellent job.

Hallowe’en was celebrated in a fun way.  The crew had created an amazing scary haunted house and the ship was decorated.  A large enough number of guests were dressed up including us.  There was costume judging and later in the evening a Hallowe’en dance.

As part of the Free at Sea promo we took the unlimited beverages and a dining package.  We felt decadent ordering fancy cocktails and liqueurs without having to think about the price.  Cocktail prices ranged from $7.95 to $10.75 on average.  Wine was about the same.  A lot of drinks cost more but any under $16.95, were included in our package.  

In Italian ports the ship was required to collect a 10% tax on beverages even if you have a package.

We enjoyed the included restaurants but are happy we had the specialty dining package.  We tried all the specialty restaurants except the Sushi.  Each one was excellent.  On a 7-day cruise, I wouldn’t feel the need for specialty dining but on anything longer, it is nice to have more choice.

Once, on the 7 day and twice on the 14-day cruise, there was a laundry special.  All you can stuff in the bag for $20usd.  I thought that was reasonable and I got a lot in the bag.

I had expected to be bored with so many days at sea.  Not so.  There was always something to do and we had lots of fun and lots of laughs. 

To sum it up, NCL scored high on everything except décor (Jade goes into drydock in March 2017 and will get a much-needed new look).

Transatlantic Back to Back on the Jade 2016

This was my wife and my first cruise and we are both 66 years old. Booked through a travel agent with a balcony stateroom. We have nothing to compare with so not sure how this compares with other cruises. The cruise was great! The ship was great! the staff was great! For a first cruise we were overall very happy. 

The things I didn't like are the following: We booked early and got 1 free upgrade and we took the dining package. By the time we left for the trip Norwegian was offering 5 free upgrades but would not let us have any so we were left with a nasty taste in the mouth before we left. 

On board we were immediately given sales pitches to spend lots more money, spas, photos, gym, watches, jewels. We felt like we were stuck on a ship with sales people. We couldn't get a soda without spending 4 dollars and internet access was outrageous. Overall we thought the trip was great but just a few thing could have been better. Why not have soda as part of the meals without an extra charge. Why not have reasonable prices on photos, internet and spa treatments. I would like to have seen no cost exercise classes.

First Cruise Experience

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